The Meaning of Genesis 49:26 Explained

Genesis 49:26

KJV: The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.

YLT: Thy father's blessings have been mighty Above the blessings of my progenitors, Unto the limit of the heights age-during They are for the head of Joseph, And for the crown of the one Separate from his brethren.

Darby: The blessings of thy father surpass the blessings of my ancestors, Unto the bounds of the everlasting hills: They shall be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him that was separated from his brethren.

ASV: The blessings of thy father Have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors Unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: They shall be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The blessings  of thy father  have prevailed  above the blessings  of my progenitors  unto the utmost bound  of the everlasting  hills:  they shall be on the head  of Joseph,  and on the crown of the head  of him that was separate  from his brethren. 

What does Genesis 49:26 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 49:13-27 - Joseph Specially Blessed
The position of Zebulun and the following tribes in the land of promise is accurately foretold. Compare the allotments of Joshua 18:1-28. Notice the exclamation of the dying man in Genesis 49:18. Such a spirit of waiting cannot be disappointed. See Isaiah 26:8-9. Joseph's blessing is pre-eminently beautiful: Fruitful! This is mentioned twice, reminding us of John 15:8. But fruitfulness is only possible where there is the wall for separation, and the well for communion. When these are present, the branches droop over the wall with clusters of blessings to a thirsty world. Let us seek divine strength and ask that the mighty hands of the God of Jacob may be placed under our own poor weak hands! See Psalms 141:1. The separated life is the crowned life. To the heart of the dying man came the memory of his native land and its mountains. What mountains are to a country, God is to His people! [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 49

1  Jacob calls his sons to bless them
3  Their blessing in particular
29  He charges them about his burial
33  He dies

What do the individual words in Genesis 49:26 mean?

The blessings of your father have excelled upon of my ancestors up to the utmost bound of the hills everlasting they shall be on the head of Joseph and on the brow of the prince of his brothers -
בִּרְכֹ֣ת אָבִ֗יךָ גָּֽבְרוּ֙ עַל־ הוֹרַ֔י עַֽד־ תַּאֲוַ֖ת גִּבְעֹ֣ת עוֹלָ֑ם תִּֽהְיֶ֙ין֙‪‬ לְרֹ֣אשׁ יוֹסֵ֔ף וּלְקָדְקֹ֖ד נְזִ֥יר אֶחָֽיו פ

בִּרְכֹ֣ת  The  blessings 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: בְּרָכָה  
Sense: blessing.
אָבִ֗יךָ  of  your  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
גָּֽבְרוּ֙  have  excelled 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: גָּבַר  
Sense: to prevail, have strength, be strong, be powerful, be mighty, be great.
עַל־  upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הוֹרַ֔י  of  my  ancestors 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: הֹור 
Sense: to conceive, become pregnant, bear, be with child, be conceived, progenitor.
עַֽד־  up  to 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
תַּאֲוַ֖ת  the  utmost  bound 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: תַּאֲוָה  
Sense: boundary, limit.
גִּבְעֹ֣ת  of  the  hills 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: גִּבְעָה  
Sense: hill.
עוֹלָ֑ם  everlasting 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹולָם  
Sense: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world.
תִּֽהְיֶ֙ין֙‪‬  they  shall  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לְרֹ֣אשׁ  on  the  head 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
יוֹסֵ֔ף  of  Joseph 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄוסֵף  
Sense: the eldest son of Jacob by Rachel.
וּלְקָדְקֹ֖ד  and  on  the  brow 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קָדְקֹד  
Sense: head, crown of head, top of head, hairy crown, scalp.
נְזִ֥יר  of  the  prince 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נָזִיר  
Sense: consecrated or devoted one, Nazarite.
אֶחָֽיו  of  his  brothers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation